Undergraduate Honors Concentration
The Fall application period is now closed. The next
application period will be in February of 2010. An Honors
Concentration
Information Meeting will be held in early February and all students
interested
in applying to the Honors Concentration should attend this
meeting.
Please check back for details on date, time and location.
Meanwhile, you may view a PDF copy of the
presentation from last semester here: MCB
Honors Presentation FA’09.
The MCB Honors Concentration is designed for exceptional MCB Majors who demonstrate personal motivation to explore a fuller complement of experiences in biology during their undergraduate training. MCB honors students typically plan to enter graduate or professional programs to reach their career goals and want an intensive undergraduate education as preparation.
Honors students must
- fulfill all normal requirements of the MCB major;
- complete honors sections in the MCB core courses (MCB 250, 251,
252, 253, 354);
- complete four or more additional Upper-Class Honors Courses, typically taken as Juniors and Seniors;
- maintain minimum grade point averages, as required, based upon entry date into the Honors Concentration (see Honors Coordinator for details);
- other requirements may apply.
Required honors sections in the MCB Core
In addition to providing direct interaction with faculty, honors sections are designed to develop skills in reading and critiquing primary scientific literature, analytical thinking and problem solving, and oral and written communication.
Upper-Class Honors Courses may include
- One additional 3-5 hour advanced MCB course from the Approved List of Advanced Courses for MCB Majors;
- Honors Project in one advanced MCB course from the Approved List of Advanced Courses for MCB Majors;
- MCB 290: Individual Topics (Undergraduate Research): must be taken for a minimum of 2 credit hours);
- MCB 492: Senior Thesis (may be applied to graduation with distinction);
- MCB 493: Special Topics in Molecular and Cellular Biology (only some special sections may apply);
- LAS 299: Study Abroad in MCB-approved discipline-specific
programs only.
Note that students must complete courses in a minimum of three out of five of the above six categories and only items 3 and 5 may potentially be repeated. Other categories may be added over time.
Eligibility
The MCB Honors Concentration is open to MCB majors only. Applicants must be current MCB majors or must declare the MCB major upon starting the Concentration. In addition to the motivation to perform honors work, qualifications for admittance may include cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better, grades of B+ or better in mathematics and science courses taken at the University of Illinois, and teaching assistant or instructor recommendation. Interested students should apply prior to enrolling in MCB 250/251--generally, during the Spring of their Freshman year. Applications will also be processed during the Fall semester to accommodate those students planning to enroll in MCB 250/251 during the Spring semester.
Application Process
The next application period will be announced via the MCB RoadMAP, in various MCB Core courses, and on this Web page. Interested students should apply by the deadline indicated at that time. Qualified applicants will be interviewed and offers of admittance to the Concentration will be made prior to the Early Registration Period for the following semester.
Letter of Recommendation
Applicants
must submit a letter of
recommendation. This letter must be from a
A FAQ about the Honors Concentration can be found here.
For More Information:
Dr. Shawna Naidu
Program Coordinator, MCB Honors
127 Burrill Hall
(217) 333-6774
shawna@illinois.edu